Loss of Identity
by Gardenfiction
Summary: What could happen after so long in another body? Could you forget who you are?


_Browsing through the Codex, no particular reason other than curiosity. I'm not one usually given over to such ideas, and I don't see how today would be any different. Something bothers me though, that indefinable nagging feeling at the back of your mind._

"Ordis wonders, what are you thinking about?"

 _Nothing in particular, I'm just looking for something. A journal. My journal._

 _I don't keep a journal._

 _But there it is, the latest entry waiting for me to read it. Why not?_

"Ordis keeps telling me to keep records, he says it's good for me. I think he's worried. No idea why, but if writing this thing keeps him happy it's worth it. I don't want a repetition of the candy-floss armour debacle, I had to disable his sensors to stop him screaming. What do people usually write in these things? Well, the least I can do is give it a try:

Every time I get back to my orbiter, it's the usual routine. Ordis makes his "covered in blood" comments, I plead with him to make some new material, scrub the gore away. Business as usual.

It's then that things go awry. I remember things, things I could swear never happened but I remember them anyway. I try to wave it –

" _No self, no sense, no death. Just a metal puppet, dangling on Tenno strings."_

To wave it away. Just my ima –

" _Forgive me. This is who you really are."_

My imagination.

For some reason, I find myself heading towards the Somat –

" _Head into the heart of your orbiter. There you will find the Somatic Link"_

Towards the Somatic link.

I have no idea why, I never go there. Why would I? There's no need.

As I –

" _Stalker? How? Get past him, get to the Link!"_

Get to the Link, and the child it contains, I ask myself –

" _You're asking yourself, was I one these wretched things?"_

I ask myself "Who are you?"

I get confused. The child looks me in the eye –

I wake up. At least it feels like waking up, but it must be –

" _Just a lucid, second dream"_

A dream.

In this dream, I wear this child's body, steer its human feet, see through its human eyes,

and everything seems out of proportion. I realise it's just because I'm nearer the ground.

I realise I've had this dream before, so I go through the motions. I check my arsenal, find my braton (a prime mind you, one of the jewels in my crown), and I can barely lift it. I check on my kubrow, but it barely recognises me. No problem, dreams rarely make sense.

Ordis does recognise me, but then Ordis rarely makes sense. He does seem different though, something in his voice. Relief? He's been fixated on my well-being recently. I know he's here to help, but there are limits. Maybe he does require maintenance after all.

Enough is enough. Dreams are good, but –

" _Operator, the system needs you. Will you begin another mission?"_

I really should begin another mission. I should wake up.

I can't wake up. I really should wake up. I can't.

I wander the ship, an intruder in my own home, but I take comfort in the fact that –

" _You think you're safe behind that metal, but you're not."_

I'm safe here. But I still need to wake up.

I visit my arsenal again, and I remember –

" _If your warframe becomes a useless husk without you, then what do you become without it?"_

I see my true nature in these statues, glorious and –

" _We are your golden lords!"_

Perfect.

I see a world on fire, cloned flesh turning to ash. I see my enemies turned to stone, swallowed by the rift, dragged to their deaths by the tide. I see my brothers and sisters out there and I need to help them. I need to wake up.

If I fell asleep in the Somatic Link, I can wake up there. It makes sense. I hurry back and I am reassured by my memories that I am doing the right thing.

I remember –

 _My warframe is the hand_

 _ **I AM THE HAND, AND THE WILL.**_

 _We know the mission_

 _ **I KNOW MY MISSION, I CANNOT FAIL**_

 _Say what you want, we are_

 _ **I AM COMING FOR YOU**_

 _My warframe is_

 _ **I AM STRONG**_

 _ **I AM AWAKE.**_

 _ **I AM AWAKE AGAIN.**_


End file.
